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Department of Justice and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence Announce the Publication of Additional Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court Filings, Opinions and Orders Regarding Collection Under Section 501 of the Foreign Intelligence Su

On January 3, 2014, the Director of National Intelligence declassified and disclosed publically that the U.S. government had filed an application with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court seeking renewal of the authority to collect telephony metadata in bulk, and that, the FISC renewed that authority. The Office of the Director National Intelligence also announced that the Administration was undertaking a declassification review of the FISC's January 3 primary order. On February 12, 2014, and following a declassification review by the Executive Branch, the FISC released in redacted form the previously classified January 3 primary order it had issued in Docket Number BR 14-01, along with a number of other documents.



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Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels Speaks at the Department of Justice’s 2014 Nationwide Tour to Raise Awareness of Sexual Assault on College Campuses

"When universities fail to respond adequately to campus sexual assault, they engage in their own sex discrimination by forcing the affected students to attend school in a hostile sex-based environment."




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Justice Department Statement on U.S. District Court Finding That Department’s Settlement with US Airways/American Airlines is in the Public Interest

"We’re pleased that the court agreed that the department’s remedy will enhance system-wide competition in the airline industry," said Assistant Attorney General Baer



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Certified Public Accountant Convicted of Preparing False Returns

A federal jury convicted certified public accountant Jeffery Deshon Applewhite, aka Jeffrey Donald Mason, a resident of Los Angeles County, California, of 20 counts of aiding and assisting the preparation and presentation of false tax returns late yesterday.



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Justice Department Requires eBay to End Anticompetitive “No Poach” Hiring Agreements

The Department of Justice reached a settlement with eBay Inc. that prevents the company from entering into or maintaining agreements with other companies restraining employee recruitment and hiring.



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Court Stops San Diego Man from Preparing Tax Returns

A federal judge in California has permanently barred Michael I. Turner, of San Diego, from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today.



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Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer Speaks at the Conference Call Regarding the Justice Department’s Settlement with eBay Inc. to End Anticompetitive “No Poach” Hiring Agreements

"This is one further step towards closing an unfortunate chapter for Silicon Valley and other companies who unlawfully agreed to deny their employees the opportunity to receive competing job offers. These so-called “do not poach” or anti-solicitation agreements are per se unlawful, and the Antitrust Division takes them very seriously," said Assistant Attorney General Baer.




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Justice Department Sues to Stop Miami Tax Return Preparers

The United States has asked the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in Miami to stop Lazaro Jesus Toyos, Shirley Ester Almazan, Dilma Toyos Garcia and Daniel Almazan, and their companies L. Toyos Tax Service Inc., Toyos Garcia Tax Service Inc., Toyos Tax Service Inc. and Total Income Tax Services from preparing federal income tax returns for others.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against the State of Hawaii and the Hawaii Department of Transportation for Sexual Harassment and Retaliation

The Justice Department announced today the filing of a lawsuit against the state of Hawaii and the state of Hawaii Department of Transportation Airports Division (HDOT-Airports) alleging that the defendants discriminated against former employee Sherry Valmoja by subjecting her to sexual harassment in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.



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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Against Penske Truck Leasing Co. to Enforce Employment Rights of Air Force Reserve Member

The U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente for the Eastern District of Virginia announced today that they had reached an agreement with Penske Truck Leasing Co. resolving claims that Penske violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).



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Chicago Federal Court Shuts Down Tax Preparer

A federal court in Chicago permanently barred Barbara L. Garrett from preparing tax returns for others or working for any business that prepares tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today.



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Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission to Hold Workshop on Conditional Pricing Practices

The Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will hold a joint public workshop to explore the economic and legal analysis of conditional pricing practices among firms in a supply chain.



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Justice Department Settles Immigration-Related Discrimination Claim Against Master Klean Janitorial

The Justice Department reached an agreement today with Master Klean Janitorial, a company based in Denver, resolving claims that the company engaged in a pattern or practice of discriminatory documentary requests based on citizenship status in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act.



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Attorney General Holder Delivers Remarks at Justice Department Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Event

Within the Department, we have moved forward with our groundbreaking Diversity Management Initiative to promote diversity within our own ranks. Through our close partnership with the Federal Asian Pacific American Council, we have helped to create considerable new opportunities for our employees to thrive – both personally and professionally. And thanks to the tireless efforts of employee organizations like DOJ Pan Asia and others, we continue to encourage every member of the DOJ family to grow, to learn, and to advance in their lives and careers.




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Former Virginia Department of Social Services Employee Sentenced for Preparing False Tax Returns and Stealing Identities

Sybil Marshall Coles, 45, of Pamplin, Virginia, was sentenced today to serve five years in prison for aggravated identity theft and preparing a false tax return.



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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Nebraska

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor elections on May 13, 2014, in Colfax and Douglas Counties, Nebraska, to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting rights statutes.



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Justice Department, Health and Human Services and Other Law Enforcement Officials to Announce Significant Medicare Fraud Strike Force Actions

Officials from the Justice Department, Health and Human Services and other law enforcement partners will hold a press conference today, Tuesday, May 13, 2014, at 2:00 p.m. EDT, to announce Medicare Fraud Strike Force law enforcement actions in Miami and throughout the nation.



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Justice Department Reaches $60 Million Settlement with Sallie Mae to Resolve Allegations of Charging Military Servicemembers Excessive Rates on Student Loans

The Department of Justice today announced the federal government’s first lawsuit filed against owners and servicers of student loans for violating the rights of servicemembers eligible for benefits and protections under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA).



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Statement By Attorney General Holder on the Planned Departure of Deputy Director of Public Affairs Gina Talamona

“For 27 years, Gina Talamona has been a tremendous asset to the Department of Justice and an exceptionally dedicated public servant. She’s been the backbone of our dedicated Office of Public Affairs team, providing leadership and sound guidance to Attorneys General and other leaders from administrations of both parties."



  • OPA Press Releases

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Statement from the Department of Justice and Office of Director of National Intelligence on the Declassification of Additional Documents Regarding the Collection of Bulk Telephony Metadata Under Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act

Today, the Department of Justice and Office of the Director of National Intelligence released, in redacted form, a previously classified series of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court filings and orders from 2009-2010 concerning the collection of bulk telephony metadata under Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act. These documents relate to a robust interaction that occurred between the Department of Justice and a telecommunications service provider that included the provider’s review of prior FISC applications, orders and opinions, regarding lawful compliance with those orders.



  • OPA Press Releases

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EPA Requires Global Titanium Manufacturer to Investigate and Clean Up PCB Contamination in Nevada

Titanium Metals Corporation (TIMET), one of the world’s largest producers of titanium parts for jet engines, has agreed to pay a record $13.75 million civil penalty and perform an extensive investigation and cleanup of potential contamination stemming primarily from the unauthorized manufacture and disposal of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) at its manufacturing facility in Henderson, Nevada.



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Justice Department Sues to Shut Down Montgomery, Alabama, Tax Return Preparer

The United States filed a complaint today to bar Laquanda O. Gilmore (aka Laquanda Garrott) and her company, L&g Associates LLC, from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced.



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Justice Department Requires ConAgra, Cargill, CHS, Horizon Milling to Divest Four Significant Flour Mills to Go Forward with Ardent Mills Joint Venture

The Department of Justice will require ConAgra Foods Inc., Cargill Inc., CHS Inc. and Horizon Milling LLC to divest four competitively significant flour mills in order to proceed with the formation of Ardent Mills, a flour milling joint venture.



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Law School Admission Council Agrees to Systemic Reforms and $7.73 Million Payment to Settle Justice Department’s Nationwide Disability Discrimination Lawsuit

The Justice Department filed a joint motion today for entry of a landmark consent decree to resolve allegations that the Law School Admission Council engaged in widespread and systemic discrimination in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.



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Sixteen Current and Former Puerto Rico Police Officers Indicted for Allegedly Running Criminal Organization out of Police Department

Sixteen current and former Puerto Rico police officers have been indicted for their alleged participation in a criminal organization, run out of the police department, that used their affiliation with law enforcement to make money through robbery, extortion, manipulating court records and selling illegal narcotics.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging Disability-Based Discrimination by Mississippi Developer

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against Mississippi-based developer Dawn Properties Inc. and its affiliated companies for violating the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act., alleging that the defendants violated these laws when they designed and constructed five or more residential properties with barriers that make them inaccessible to persons with disabilities



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Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department’s Tax Division Announced Her Departure from the Department Today, Effective as of June 5, 2014

Kathryn Keneally, Assistant Attorney General for the Tax Division, will leave her post at the Department of Justice effective June 5, 2014, she announced today.



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Department of Justice Announces 48 States and Territories Have Committed to Ending Prison Rape

Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Justice Programs Mary Lou Leary announced today that the vast majority of U.S. states and territories have informed the Department of Justice that they intend to take steps to reduce sexual assaults in prisons, in accordance with federal law.



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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in California and New Mexico

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor elections on June 3, 2014, in Alameda and Napa Counties, California, and Cibola County, N.M., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting rights statutes.



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Justice Department Announces Investigation of Detention Center in Hinds County, Mississippi

The Justice Department announced today that it is opening a pattern or practice investigation of Hinds County Detention Center including both the Hinds County facility in Raymond, Mississippi, and the Jackson Detention Center, in Jackson, Mississippi.



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Texas Woman Allegedly Prepares Tax Returns Claiming False Deductions and Credits

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas in McAllen, Texas, permanently barred Maria I. Cantu from preparing federal tax returns for others.



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Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission Announce Agenda for June 23, 2014, Joint Agency Workshop on Conditional Pricing Practices

The Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have issued the agenda for their joint public workshop, which will be held on June 23, 2014, to explore the economic and legal analysis of conditional pricing practices among firms in a supply chain.



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District Court Approves Selection of Arnaldo Claudio as Technical Compliance Advisor to Oversee Critical Reforms of Puerto Rico Police Department

Today, U.S. District Judge Gustavo A. Gelpí approved the selection of Arnaldo Claudio to serve as Technical Compliance Advisor (TCA), overseeing the implementation of sweeping civil rights reforms under the Agreement for Sustainable Reform of the Puerto Rico Police Department.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Florida State University

The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement with the Florida State University Board of Trustees, acting for and on behalf of Florida State University (FSU), in Tallahassee, Florida.



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Detroit Tax Preparer, Previously Convicted on Tax Charges, Found Guilty of Failing to Appear at 2013 Bond Hearing

The Justice Department, the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration announced that Matthew Bender, of Detroit, was convicted yesterday following a jury trial of failing to appear at a bond hearing on July 2, 2013.



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Justice Department and CNCS Announce New Partnership to Enhance Immigration Courts and Provide Critical Legal Assistance to Unaccompanied Minors

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which administers AmeriCorps, and the Department of Justice today announced “justice AmeriCorps,” a strategic partnership to increase national service opportunities while enhancing the effective and efficient adjudication of immigration proceedings involving certain children who have crossed the U.S. border without a parent or legal guardian.



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Justice Department Concludes That Los Angeles County Jails System Has Made Progress, but Serious Deficiencies Continue

The Justice Department today released its latest compliance assessment of mental health services at the Los Angeles County Jails based on a memorandum of agreement designed to protect the constitutional rights of prisoners with serious mental illness at the jails.



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Justice Department Settles Employment Discrimination Allegations Against City of Austin

The Department of Justice announced today that it has entered into and filed a consent decree that, if approved by the court, will resolve the department’s allegations that the city of Austin violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by discriminating against African-American and Hispanic applicants for entry-level firefighter positions at the Austin Fire Department (AFD).



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Justice Department and Montana Officials to Hold Press Conference Announcing Negotiated Agreements Regarding the Handling of Sexual Assault Cases

Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Jocelyn Samuels, U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana Michael Cotter, Montana Attorney General Tim Fox, Missoula County Attorney Fred Van Valkenburg and Missoula County Commissioner Bill Carey will hold a press conference TOMORROW, TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. EDT (11:00 a.m. MDT), to announce negotiated agreements regarding the handling of sexual assault cases



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Officials to Hold Press Call Announcing Negotiated Agreements Regarding the Handling of Sexual Assault Cases

Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Jocelyn Samuels and U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana Michael Cotter will hold a press call TOMORROW, TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 2014 at 1:45 p.m. EDT (11:45 a.m. MDT), for reporters who are unable to attend in person the 1:00 p.m. EDT (11:00 a.m. MDT), press conference announcing negotiated agreements regarding the handling of sexual assault cases



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Department of Justice Reaches Landmark Agreement to Improve Missoula County Attorney’s Office’s Response to Reports of Sexual Assault

The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a comprehensive agreement with the Missoula County Attorney’s Office, as well as Missoula County, Montana, and the Montana Attorney General’s Office, to resolve the department’s investigation of alleged gender bias in the prosecution of sexual assaults by the Missoula County Attorney’s Office (MCAO).



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Justice Department Urges U.S. Sentencing Commission to Make Certain Individuals Incarcerated for Drug Offenses Retroactively Eligible for Reduced Sentences

Attorney General Eric Holder announced Tuesday that the Justice Department would formally support a proposal under consideration by the U.S. Sentencing Commission to allow certain individuals serving time in federal prison for nonviolent drug offenses to be eligible for reduced sentences.



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Justice Department Settles Immigration-Related Discrimination Claim Against Commercial Cleaning Systems

The Justice Department reached an agreement today with Commercial Cleaning Systems, a janitorial services company with headquarters in Denver. The agreement resolves claims that the company discriminated against work-authorized non-U.S. citizens in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)



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Federal District Court Shut Down California Tax Return Preparers

A federal court in Fresno, California, has permanently barred Ken Mendoza and Alice Mendoza from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. Ken Mendoza and Alice Mendoza, who operated under the business name “Mendoza Business Services” in Fresno, consented to the civil injunction order, which was signed by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California



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Court Bars Miami Tax Return Preparers from Preparing Returns for Others

A federal district judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida permanently barred Lazaro Jesus Toyos and his daughter Dilma Carida Garcia, aka Dilma Toyos Garcia, and their respective companies, L. Toyos Tax Service Inc. and Toyos Garcia Tax Service Inc., from preparing federal income tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today



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Alabama Tax Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax Returns

Russell Burroughs pleaded guilty today to aiding in the preparation of false tax returns in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced



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Credit Repair Company Agrees to Pay $400,000 Civil Penalty and Halt Illegal Credit Repair Practices

The Justice Department’s Civil Division announced today that RMCN Credit Services Inc. (RMCN), of McKinney, Texas, and the Texas residents who own it, Doug and Julie Parker, have agreed to settle a federal court case charging them with falsely disputing negative information on consumers’ credit reports and collecting illegal upfront fees from customers



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Justice Department and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Reach $169 Million Settlement to Resolve Allegations of Credit Card Lending Discrimination by GE Capital Retail Bank

The Department of Justice and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today announced a settlement to resolve allegations that GE Capital Retail Bank, known as of this month as Synchrony Bank, engaged in a nationwide pattern or practice of discrimination by excluding Hispanic borrowers from two of its credit card debt-repayment programs



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Department of Justice Reaches Settlement with Clay County, Alabama School District to Ensure Equal Opportunities for English Language Learner Students

The Justice Department announced today a settlement agreement with the Clay County School District in Alabama



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Joint Statement from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Justice on the Declassification of Renewal of Collection Under Section 501 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act

The Justice Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released the following joint statement Friday



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